Autonomous mobile picking

ABSTRACT

An order fulfillment system and method of fulfilling orders, each with at least one article, includes at least one mobile robotic unit that is capable of autonomous routing in an order fulfillment facility. A stationary robotic order-picking station with a stationary robot and vision equipment sorts articles into orders. The at least one mobile robotic unit transfers articles to or from the stationary robotic order-picking station.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/479,908, filed on Sep. 8, 2014, which claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/875,341, filed on Sep. 9, 2013, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a method of order picking and an apparatus for use with such method. The invention can be used for e-commerce, mail order or phone-in order fulfillment or for split-case picking in a distribution warehouse, or the like.

Picking of items in a warehouse is typically a labor-intensive activity. A number of pickers are provided instructions, using visual displays, voice commands, or the like, that directs the pickers to retrieve a certain number of items from a particular location at a picking shelf or bin. The pickers pick the items to receptacles which are then conveyed to order assembly stations, such as a put-station where individual orders are collected and packaged by yet more persons. Also, replenishment of the items stocked at the picking facility requires facilities to convey the goods from a decant area where the goods are received in larger containers, such as cases and/or pallets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an order-picking method and material-handling robotic unit that is adapted for use in an order fulfillment facility that is capable of autonomous mobile picking yet is capable of augmentation with humans. In this manner, labor costs can be reduced while the installed capital equipment can be sized for a base-line level of orders and capacity added by adding additional humans.

An order-picking method, according to an aspect of the invention, includes autonomously routing a plurality of mobile robotic units in an order fulfillment facility and picking articles to or putting articles from the robotic units in the order fulfillment facility.

The picking articles to or putting articles from the robotic units may include manually picking product to or putting product from pick stations in said facility. The robotic units may be adapted to alter the planned path of movement in order to function in the presence of the persons, wherein said robotic units and the persons can function together in said order fulfillment facility.

The robotic unit(s) may include a plurality of receptacle supports, and the method may include picking articles to receptacles at the supports and/or putting articles from the receptacles. The indicator system may indicate which of the receptacles to pick an article to or put an article from. The indicator system may include a plurality of visual indicators, each associated with one of said receptacles.

At least one of the robotic units may include a robotic arm and the method include picking articles or putting articles with the robotic arm. The method may include picking articles to or putting articles with the robotic arm from another of the robotic units. At least one of the robotic units may be coupled to trawl with the another of the robotic units as a pair of robotic units.

The material-handling facility may include at least one pick station and the picking articles may include picking articles from the at least one pick station. The putting articles may include putting articles to the at least one pick station in order to replenish the at least one pick station. The putting articles may include putting articles to the pick station(s) in order to replace articles returned by a consumer.

The material-handling facility may have a stationary automated order-picking station and the putting of articles includes docking the robotic units to the order-picking station wherein the order-picking station pick receives articles put from said robotic units. The automated order-picking station may pick articles directly from said robotic vehicles.

A plurality of the robotic units may be coupled in a train of robotic units. At least one of the robotic units in the train of robotic units may be a tow vehicle that propels the other of said robotic units in the train of robotic units. At least one of the robotic units may be configured to carry at least one pallet and the method may include transporting pallets in the facility with one of the mobile robotic units. The facility may include at least one decanting station and picking stations and the method may include picking items to the mobile robotic units at the decanting station and putting items from the mobile robotic units to the picking stations for replenishment of the picking stations. The facility may include an article storage station and the method may include picking articles to the mobile robotic units from the storage station and putting articles from the robotic units to the storage station. The article storage station may include a manual station, an automated storage and retrieval system, a shuttle-based automated three-dimensional warehouse and/or a mini-load station. The method may include picking documents to and putting documents from the mobile robotic units.

The order fulfillment facility may include a stationary robotic system conducting order fulfillment and/or inventory replenishment operations. The stationary robotic system may include a stationary robot and vision equipment to store with the robot to an assignment location product that is retrieved from a receptacle with the robot, or vice versa. Receptacles may be supplied to the mobile robotic unit with a conveyor system and a human operator may transfer inventory receptacles between the conveyor system and the mobile robotic unit. A human operator may transfer receptacles between the mobile robotic unit and the stationary robotic system. The vision equipment may locate the position of the product in two-dimensional (2D) coordinates and using the 2D coordinates as a common reference frame for the vision equipment and the robot and create a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud of product with the vision equipment. The vision equipment may use a blob algorithm to identify connected surfaces to identify product. A human operator or the stationary robot may retrieve an empty receptacle from the stationary robotic system and move the empty receptacle to or from the assignment location. A human operator may load an empty receptacle from the assignment location as directed by an indicator system to complete the order. A rail-supported vehicle may remove a completed receptacle from the pick or put operation.

A material-handling robotic unit that is adapted for use in an order fulfillment facility, according to an aspect of the invention, includes an autonomous mobile vehicle base and a plurality of article receptacles positioned on the base. A visual indicator associated with the receptacle facilitates picking articles to or putting articles from the robotic unit.

These and other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an order-picking method according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is the same view as FIG. 1 of an alternative embodiment thereof;

FIG. 3 is the same view as FIG. 1 of another alternative embodiment thereof;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a material-handling robotic unit;

FIG. 5 is the same view as FIG. 4 taken from an opposite direction;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating split case and item level picking functions;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating split case and item level picking functions in combination with full case picking function;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating decanting and de-trashing functions;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an automated order-picking station useful with the method;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an automated order-picking or replenishment station; and

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the station in FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, an order-picking method 10 is carried out in an order fulfillment facility 12 using a plurality of mobile robotic units 14 operating autonomously or semi-autonomously in order fulfillment facility 12. The term “order fulfillment facility” is intended to be used in a broad sense of the term to include fulfillment of orders placed by individuals, which typically involve one or more individual items ordered on-line or through a catalog, as well as full case and split case orders that are bound for individual stores of a chain of retail establishments, or the like. Robotic units 14 are especially configured to facilitate picking articles to the robotic unit. It may also be used for putting articles from the robotic units in the order fulfillment facility. Method 10 may include manually picking product to or putting product from receptacles in facility 12 using humans illustrated at 16. This is feasible because robotic units 14 are adapted to alter planned path of movement in the presence of the humans. In this manner, robotic units 14 and humans 16 can function together in said order fulfillment facility. In the illustrated embodiment, robotic units 14 include an autonomous vehicle base 17 that is marketed by Adept Technology, Inc. under the Lynx brand, although other autonomous vehicles may be used. Autonomous vehicle base 17 is capable of self-navigation from any starting point in fulfillment facility 12 to any utilization point without special infrastructure, such as magnets, stationary lasers, or the like. Also, autonomous vehicle base 17 is capable of sensing humans and unanticipated obstructions and modifying its path plan to avoid the human/obstruction without any further intervention.

Robotic units 14 include a plurality of receptacle supports 18 that may be positioned on one or both sides of the vehicle. Articles may be picked to receptacles, such as totes or cartons placed on supports 18, such as part of a pick function. For example, split case and item level pick functions 32 may be carried out. Articles may also be taken from receptacles on supports 18, such as part of a put function. For example, articles may be taken from receptacles on supports 18 and combined as customer orders in a put operation, such as at a conventional put wall, goods-to-person station, or the like. Moreover, supports 18 can be at a horizontal position thereby allowing the receptacles supported thereon to be horizontal. This allows the receptacles to interface with other material-handling equipment, such as conveyors, vehicles, or the like. In order to facilitate such pick and put function, robotic units 14 may include an indicator system 20. Indicator system 20 indicates which of receptacles on supports 18 to pick an article to or which of receptacles on supports 18 to take, or put, an article from. In the illustrated embodiment, indicator system 20 includes a series of visual indicators, such as lamps, each associated with one of supports 18 to inform an operator which receptacle to put item(s) to or retrieve item(s) from. In addition, or alternatively, robotic units 14 include an interface unit 23 that may be used to display to an operator information, such as a number of each item to be picked. It may also receive operator input, such as confirmation of the number of units picked, or the like. In the illustrated embodiment, interface unit 23 is a portable digital device, such as a computer table of the type known in the art and marketed by various companies, such as the Apple iPad, and the like. Additionally, instructions to a pick/put operator may be supplied using voice picking as is known in the art.

Method 10 may include robotic units 114 that include a robotic arm 24. Robotic arm 24 is capable of picking articles to a robotic unit 14 or putting articles from a robotic unit 14. Robotic arm is a 6-axis articulated robot, such as marketed by various manufactures such as Adept Technologies, Inc. under a Viper mark. However, 4-axis robots can be used for some applications. Robotic arm 24 uses machine vision to identify the position of an item to pick up and/or to identify the item to be picked. A robotic unit 114 having an arm 24 may be coupled with a robotic unit 14 and operated as a combined unit with arm 24 picking to or putting from receptacles on supports 18 on robotic unit 14, as best illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 illustrates robotic arm 24 picking articles from a pick station 25. Thus, the entire pick and/or put function can be carried out automatically without human intervention. However, for peak flow periods, humans 16 may be added to method 10 and used along side the robotic units.

Method 10 may further includes a plurality of trains 26 made up of slave robotic units 30 that are coupled in a train of robotic units with a master robotic unit 28. In this fashion, master robotic unit 28 functions as a tow vehicle to propel slave units 30. Other variations of robotic units are deemed to be comprehended herein. For example, at least one of the robotic units may be configured to carry at least one pallet and the method including transporting pallets in facility 10.

A split case/item level pick function 32 is illustrated in FIG. 6. In such function, the robotic units are used in a pick tunnel 31 with or without humans to pick from pick stations 25. Other mobile robotic units are used in replenishment aisles 33 in order to replenish at least one pick stations 25. Function 32 is useful for picking discrete sort orders where each receptacle represents a store destination. It may also be used to batch pick to a tote or carton whether the tote/carton is destined to a put wall or a goods-to-person station for multi-line order consolidation. It was also to be used to batch pick to a tote or carton for single line orders where the tote or carton is destined to a packing and shipping function. Higher levels of warehouse management software may be used to establish priority level of control of method 10 for managing overall material flow and order fulfillment.

A full case pick function 34 can be added as seen in FIG. 7. Function 34 includes a full case pick station 125 that utilizes the mobile robotic units to carry a pallet to pick locations 125. This function may be used for discrete store orders where a tote or carton represents a store destination or where the pallet is built in a store or aisle-ready format. Replenishment of pick locations 125 can take place by mobile robotic vehicles in a replenishment aisle 133.

As can be seen in FIG. 8, replenishment function 36 involves items being placed in a receptacle 18, such as a tote or carton, and routed to pick station 25 or to a storage area 125. A decant and de-trash function 38 may be provided.

The mobile robotic units can also be used with an automated pick station 40, as illustrated in FIG. 9. Pick station 40 includes a stationary picking arm 42 for use in picking items from a supply tote or carton and placing the items in order totes or cartons. A mobile robotic unit 14 (not shown in FIG. 9) can be docked along side of pick station 40 with picking arm 42 picking directly from receptacles 18 and placing the picked items directly to an order tote, or the like. Other functions are possible. For example, method 10 may include picking of documents to a robotic unit 14 and putting documents from the robotic units to a destination.

The mobile robotic units can also be used with an order picking method 210 having a stationary robotic system 240 with a stationary robot, such as stationary picking arm 242 that is used for conducting order fulfillment and/or inventory replenishment operations (FIGS. 10 and 11). Stationary robotic system 240 includes vision equipment, or system, 244 to identify items to be picked from a receptacle 218 and to instruct arm 242 to pick the item and move the item to an assignment location 246 in a put wall 250. While the embodiment is illustrated as moving items from a receptacle to a put wall 250, the opposite could be provided, wherein items are identified in assignment locations 246, retrieved by the robot arm and placed into receptacles 218. In the illustrated embodiment, receptacles 218 are received from conveyor system 248, such as from a batch picking operation in which pickers pick all or a portion of items for a customer order, thereby making receptacles 218 “dirty pick” receptacles, meaning that they contain a number of heterogeneous items that are destined for more than one customer order and may contain only portions of a number of orders. Receptacles 218 are moved by a human operator from conveyor system 248 to mobile robotic unit 214 that has the same general characteristics as mobile robotic unit 14. Mobile robotic unit 214 transports receptacles to a conveyor system 254 where the receptacles are unloaded for conveying, such as past vision system 244. Conveyor system 254 may utilize a variety of conveying techniques, such as segmented belts, powered roller and/or a right angle transfer 258. The transfer from mobile robotic unit 214 can be by a human operator or by a robot (not shown). Conveyor system 254 transports the receptacles past vision system 244 where the items in the receptacle are identified and picked by robot 242. Robot 242 places the items in assignment locations 246, which are open on opposite sides to be accessible on one side by robot 242 and the opposite side by a human. A warehouse management system (not shown) instructs robot 242 which assignment location 246 to place the item picked from the receptacle. When all of the items are removed from a receptacle in this manner, the empty receptacle is then transported to a conveyor system 256 where an operator can use the empty receptacle to unload a completed order from an assignment location 246. Interlocks, such as proximity detectors, light curtains, or the like, prevent robot arm 242 from entering an assignment location 246 that has is being accessed by an operator. Similarly, a warning system, such as a light on put wall 250, informs the operator when the robot is placing an item in an assignment location so that the operator does not try to retrieve items from any assignment location while the robot arm is entering any assignment location. Other lights or a display may be used to inform the operator when a group of items, such as an order, is complete and ready to be loaded from its assignment location 246 to an empty receptacle. The processed receptacle is then transported by conveyor system 254 to a rail-supported vehicle 252 to be transported, such as to a pack-out station, automated storage or to replenish items in a pick-to-light fulfillment system. In the illustrated embodiment, rail supported vehicle 252 is a belt-shuttle as disclosed in International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2012/044734 A1, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

Vision system 244 locates the position of an item in two-dimensional (2D) coordinates and uses the 2D coordinates as a common reference frame for the vision equipment and the robot. The vision system creates a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud of items and uses a blob algorithm to identify connected surfaces in order to identify individual items. An end-of-arm tool, such as a vacuum-operated device, is used by stationary picking arm 242 to pick up the desired item. The vacuum is relieved in order to deposit the item in the selected assignment location 246. Vision system 244 and robot 142 are commercially available from several suppliers and may be provided as an integral unit in order to facilitate the coordinated operation. It should be understood that certain functions described as performed with mobile robotic unit 214 could be carried out by a human and certain functions described as performed with a human could be performed with a robotic unit.

While the foregoing description describes several embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications to these embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the claims below. The present invention encompasses all combinations of various embodiments or aspects of the invention described herein. It is understood that any and all embodiments of the present invention may be taken in conjunction with any other embodiment to describe additional embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, any elements of an embodiment may be combined with any and all other elements of any of the embodiments to describe additional embodiments. 

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A method of fulfilling orders, each with at least one article, said method comprising: autonomously routing at least one mobile robotic unit in an order fulfillment facility wherein said order fulfillment facility has a stationary robotic order-picking station with a stationary robot and vision equipment; and transferring articles in article receptacles to or from said stationary robotic order-picking station with said at least one mobile robotic units and sorting articles with said stationary robot into orders, wherein said at least one of said mobile robotic units includes a plurality of receptacle supports, and wherein said transferring includes transferring articles in one of said article receptacles to or from one of said supports, and wherein said mobile robotic units include an indicator system, said indicator system indicating which of said receptacle supports to transfer a receptacle of articles to or from.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said indicator system comprises a plurality of visual indicators each associated with one of said supports.
 3. A method of fulfilling orders, each with at least one article, said method comprising: autonomously routing at least one mobile robotic unit in an order fulfillment facility wherein said order fulfillment facility has a stationary robotic order-picking station with a stationary robot and vision equipment; transferring articles in article receptacles to or from said stationary robotic order-picking station with said at least one mobile robotic units and sorting articles with said stationary robot into orders, wherein said at least one of said mobile robotic units includes a plurality of receptacle supports and wherein said transferring includes transferring articles in one of said article receptacles to or from one of said supports; and transferring articles in a receptacle to or from at least one of said receptacle supports with another robot.
 4. A method of fulfilling orders, each with at least one article, said method comprising: autonomously routing at least one mobile robotic unit in an order fulfillment facility wherein said order fulfillment facility has a stationary robotic order-picking station with a stationary robot and vision equipment; and transferring articles in article receptacles to or from said stationary robotic order-picking station with said at least one mobile robotic units and sorting articles with said stationary robot into orders, wherein said vision equipment locating the position of an article in two-dimensional (2D) coordinates and using the 2D coordinates as a common reference frame for the vision equipment and the stationary robot and creates a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud of product with said vision equipment and wherein the vision system uses a blob algorithm to identify connected surfaces to identify an article.
 5. A method of fulfilling orders, each with at least one article, said method comprising: autonomously routing at least one mobile robotic unit in an order fulfillment facility wherein said order fulfillment facility has a stationary robotic order-picking station with a stationary robot and vision equipment; and transferring articles in article receptacles to or from said stationary robotic order-picking station with said at least one mobile robotic units and sorting articles with said stationary robot into orders, wherein said stationary robot picks articles directly from said article receptacles supported with said at least one mobile robotic vehicle.
 6. A method of fulfilling orders, each with at least one article, said method comprising: autonomously routing at least one mobile robotic unit in an order fulfillment facility wherein said order fulfillment facility has a stationary robotic order-picking station with a stationary robot and vision equipment; and transferring articles in article receptacles to or from said stationary robotic order-picking station with said at least one mobile robotic units and sorting articles with said stationary robot into orders, wherein a plurality of said mobile robotic units is coupled in a train of robotic units.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein at least one of said train of robotic units is a tow vehicle that propels the other of said robotic units in said train of robotic units.
 8. A method of fulfilling orders, each with at least one article, said method comprising: autonomously routing at least one mobile robotic unit in a facility having a stationary robotic system; transferring articles in article receptacles between said at least one mobile robotic unit and said stationary robotic system; and conducting at least one chosen from order fulfillment and inventory replenishment operations with said stationary robotic system, said stationary robotic system including a stationary robot and vision equipment to (i) store articles with the stationary robot to said article receptacles, the articles being retrieved from an assignment location or (ii) retrieve articles from said article receptacles with the stationary robot, the articles being stored to an assignment location, wherein said vision equipment locating the position of the articles in two-dimensional (2D) coordinates and using the 2D coordinates as a common reference frame for the vision equipment and the stationary robot and creates a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud of product with said vision equipment and wherein the vision system uses a blob algorithm to identify connected surfaces to identify an article. 